You Need This International Health Insurance When Abroad

You Need This International Health Insurance When Abroad

Twice this year I found myself over the deep blue seas heading to a new destination for the first time. Off to see new climates, landscape, cultures, cuisine — everything vacationing abroad has to offer. There were some important things I made sure not to leave behind: my passport and tickets, a small amount of cash, internationally-accepted credit cards, and international health insurance.

Travel insurance is one of those things that seems to be an add-on when purchasing plane tickets, cruise tickets, and other vacation packages. These add-on plans are great for covering ticket expenses, lost luggage, and providing some medical benefits in emergencies. They are, however, not substitutes for actual health insurance when traveling overseas and can still leave you in a mess.

When traveling this past year, there were places I found where English was not spoken and I didn’t know the local language. Medical facilities were not easy to spot and I wasn’t sure which one’s were qualified to handle certain medical treatments. I didn’t know if I would have the financial means to satisfy the local providers.

Terrorism is very real and you do not want to find yourself with an add-on travel plan that excludes acts of war and terrorism in the fine print. No country is safe from terrorism and you want to make sure you have a plan that covers illness or injury and post-departure costs if your trip is shortened or altered due to medical reasons.

You don’t necessarily need to be on an adventurous trip for something to go wrong. Food born illnesses and bad water can leave you looking for the first red cross symbol on the outside of a building hoping they have the means to treat you. Mindful people may be hesitant to stick a glass under a tap and drink, but it can be easy to forget to close your mouth during your morning shower.

No one likes to think about it and it is horrible, but you need to have a way to get your body back if you pass away when abroad. Even more so for the senior community. Reparation of remains is a benefit of insurance that is pretty straight forward and one that is overlooked in estate planning.

The Care Assistance Center has partnered with GeoBlue to offer our clients a way to have the right international health insurance for peace of mind when traveling.

We feel GeoBlue offers the most suitable coverage for our clients for a number of reasons:

Pre-existing conditions are included if you have domestic health insurance (Medicare counts).

Limits can be chosen from $250,000 up to unlimited.

GeoBlue is a division of Blue Cross Blue Shield, a well recognized name in health insurance.

There is a network of English speaking, highly accredited physicians and specialists in 210 countries.

Travel support can be made through mobile devices, including provider locations and prescriptions.

Assistance with communication and medical terms in foreign languages.

Low or no deductibles and low co-pays for office visits in non-emergency cases.

Bills paid directly to the providers (NO PAPERWORK OR REIMBURSEMENTS).

Contact our office to speak with Mike Brooks for package selections based on your travel plans for the upcoming year!